Multisided game board device

ABSTRACT

The invention sets forth a board game device which is easy to play. Players play from different sides of a multi-sided game board and move from the outside to the inside, based upon rolls of the dice, for example, and instructions from cards drawn from a well. The player who advances all pieces to the center first is the winner.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to board games. More particularly, it relates to asimple, easy to play board game which may be adapted to any number ofplayers, up to the number of sides on the game board.

BACKGROUND AND PRIOR ART

There are many examples of board games which provide devices withmultiple sides, available for multiple players. See, e.g., U.S. Pat.Nos. 7,597,326; 6,062,562; 5,121,928; 4,244,579; and PCT/US2008/077722for exemplars of rectangular sided game board devices. Generally, suchgames are “single track” games, in that multiple players follow onetrack or route around the game board in the course of play. Exemplars ofcircular or elliptical board game devices include U.S. Pat. Nos.6,834,856; 4,341,388; 4,309,036; and published U.S. Application No.2005/0167915. Such game board devices may be “single track” type games,as discussed supra (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,834,856), or provide formultiple tracks, where each player proceeds from start to finish,usually from the exterior to the interior of the game board using adifferent pathway which is nonetheless identical to the other pathways.

Polygonal game boards are represented by, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos.7,204,693; 5,071,133; 4,930,788; 4,477,080; 4,030,762; and D301,493. Aswith the other varieties of game boards described herein, these, too,may employ a single track, such as the games provided by U.S. Pat. Nos.7,204,693 and 5,071,133, or multiple tracks, such as U.S. Pat. No.4,030,762. The “multiple track” type of game board is of more relevanceto the subject invention.

Many of the game board devices of the prior art are complex games ofskill and knowledge. The game board device of U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,928,e.g., requires players to answer questions of varying difficulty indifferent subject areas. The game board device of U.S. Pat. No.4,244,579 involves a complex system of scoring a predetermined number ofpoints. Where the games involve the use of instruction cards, theinstructions, such as those in U.S. Pat. No. 6,834,856, are complex.Other games, such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,13, involve the inculcation ofprinciples which may be objectionable to players.

Often, these games are difficult, if not impossible, and certainlyfrustrating, for young children to play, especially if unsupervised byadults. Hence, there is an ongoing need for board games, which can beplayed by players of all ages, which can be completed quickly, and canbe played by a large number of players. It is the object of theinvention described herein to provide such a game board device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 depicts an embodiment of the invention using an 8 sided gameboard.

FIG. 2 provides a more detailed view of one side of the game board ofFIG. 1.

FIGS. 3 a and 3 b show two types of cards which may be used in theinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings, the invention is a board game as embodiedby reference number 20. In the depicted embodiment the game board isoctagonally shaped, but any polygon of 4 or more sides may serve as theshape for the board. Preferably game board 20 will have from 4 to 12,more preferably from 6 to 10, and most preferably, 6-8 equilateralsides. The invention also includes playing pieces, and a means fordetermining the value of a turn, as will be explained herein. Theplaying pieces are equal to each other in size and shape, and total 3,4, or 5 times the number of sides in the game board. For example, anoctagonal game board will include up to 40 game pieces, or as few as 24.In the course of playing the game, players may decide to use fewer thanthe total number of playing pieces, although each player will use thesame number of pieces. Hence, again with reference to an octagonallyshaped game board which contains 40 pieces, the players may decide touse only 24, or 32 if all 8 sides are utilized. Should only six players,e.g., be involved, the number of pieces engaged will decreaseaccordingly.

The value generating means may be anything which operates by chance toproduce a value from 2 to 12. Exemplary are a pair of conventional,identical, six sided die, or a spinning wheel structure with numbersfrom 2 to 12 and a spinning means, such as an arrow.

The game board 20, as will be seen, includes a center portion 21, with amarked area 22, for the placement of cards as well as a plurality offour tiered areas 23.

The tiered areas 23 contain a “START” zone 24, as well as three tiersindicated by 25, 26, and 27. Each of these tiers has three numericalvalues placed therein. It will be noted that the second and third tiersalso contain two lines, 28 and 29, positioned next to each of two of thenumbers.

Each of the sides of the polygonal game board is a different color, andwithin the tiers, the numbers are the same. Hence, by reference to FIG.1, the first tier 25 contains the numbers “8”, “9”, and “10.” Theparallel lines referred to supra are positioned next to the number 10and 8.

The order of play is determined by each player using the valuegenerating means, e.g., by rolling the pair of dice, or by spinning thearrow on the numerical wheel. The player with the highest value startsthe game. Should there be two or more players with the same highestvalue, these continue to use the value generating means until a singleplayer has the highest value. That players begins the game, with playproceeding in a direction which is determined by the players.

Each player lines up his or her playing pieces in the “START” area. Ifdice are used, e.g., a player rolls them, and if the value of the diceis one of the three values in first tier 25, the player places a pieceon that number. If a player successfully moves to the first tier by,e.g., rolling an “8”, “9”, or “10”, that player continues to play untilunable to make a move.

Once a player moves a piece from “START” to the first tier 25, thatplayer has access to a stack of cards placed at 22 as depicted byexample in FIGS. 3 a and 3 b. These cards exhibit identical surfaceswhen placed face down in the stack, but will exhibit colorscorresponding to the different polygonal sides on the other, togetherwith instructions of some type. Exemplary are FIGS. 30 and 31, showingtwo sets of card instructions. In a preferred embodiment, a deck ofplaying cards contains five copies of each instruction, in each color.If less than the maximum number of possible players do in fact play thegame, the cards corresponding to the unused side are removed from thedeck. A player may draw from the cards only if that player has moved atleast one piece to the first tier, and may only use cards whose colorface corresponds to the color of that player's side. Cards are drawnonly when the player is unable to proceed based upon the value obtainedfrom the value generating means. For example, if a player has succeededin placing a piece on number “10”, but then rolls a 12, that player isunable to move forward, and must draw a card. If the player has, e.g., agreen side, and the card drawn is a color other than green, thatplayer's turn ends. If the card color is green, however, if the playercan carry out the instructions, that player's turn continues. If not,the turn ends. In a variation, the cards need not be in differentcolors, but will indicate, e.g., “if you are the green player . . . ”followed by instructions.

The parallel lines depicted by 28 and 29 control the movement of pieces.Using the example given, a piece placed on “10” may only move forwardvia a roll of a 6 with the dice or spinner, or by instructions from acard. Similarly, a piece placed on “8” may only move forward with a rollof 5 or by instructions from a card. It will be seen that, in theembodiment depicted, “9” and “7” are the most favored values, as any of“5”, “6” , “7” will allow a player to move from the first tier at “9”and any of “4”, “11”, or “12” may be rolled by a player with a piece at“7,” to advance to the third tier. Once at the third tier, the playermust secure a value of 2 or 3, in order to proceed to the goal, which isthe center of the game board. Card instructions may also allow a playerto move a piece to the center.

In play, if a player secures a value for a piece and can move to thatposition in that player's tier, that player has the option of forcinganother player who has a piece in the same number in that secondplayer's side back to start. For example, if a player using a sectioncolored blue has a piece on 7, a player with the red section who has apiece in the first tier 25, who rolls a 7, may force the second playerto move that piece back to start. The red sided player also moves apiece to his or her own position 7.

Pieces which have advanced to the center cannot be moved back.

The game continues until all of one player's pieces are advanced to thecenter. If, during the course of play the card selection is exhausted,the cards are shuffled and reused.

Only one piece may occupy a given number on any side. A player who haspieces on, e.g., “10”, “7”, and “11,” may not move another piece intoplay with a value of 10, 7, or 11. Rater, that player must secure a “2”or “3” (to move the piece at “11”, to the center), a “4” or “12” (tomove the piece at “7” to the third tier), or a “6” (to move from “10”).

Other features of the invention will be clear to the skilled artisan andneed not be set forth herein.

The terms and expression which have been employed are used as terms ofdescription and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the useof such terms and expression of excluding any equivalents of thefeatures shown and described or portions thereof, it being recognizedthat various modifications are possible within the scope of theinvention.

1. A game board device comprising: (i) a multisided game board, eachside of which is a different color and is adjacent to two others,wherein the sides of said multisided game board surround a center area,each side having: (a) a plurality of horizontal tiers, the most externalof which is a start area, (b) a series of additional horizontal tierspositioned in between said center area and said start area, (c) each ofsaid additional horizontal tiers consisting of three distinct areas,each of which has applied thereto a number, wherein the three numbers ineach horizontal tier differ from the three numbers in each otherhorizontal tier in said side of said game board; (d) a pair of straightlines which are perpendicular to said horizontal tiers and begin and endin said horizontal tier, (e) a resting area within said center area forplacement of a set of instruction card; (ii) a set of instruction cards,(iii) a plurality of playing pieces totaling from 3 to 5 times thenumber of sides of said multisided game board, an equal number ofplaying pieces corresponding to each of said sides, and (iv) a numbergenerating means.
 2. The game board device of claim 1, wherein saidmultisided game board has from 4 to 12 sides.
 3. The game board deviceof claim 2, wherein said multisided game board has 6 to 10 sides.
 4. Thegame board device of claim 3, wherein said multisided game board has 6-8sides.
 5. The game board device of claim 1, wherein each card in saidset of instruction cards has an identical back, and said deck ofinstruction cards has an equal number of cards of each color of thesides of said multided game board.
 6. The game board of claim 1, whereinsaid number generating means is a pair of dice.
 7. The game board deviceof claim 1, having 3 additional horizontal areas positioned in betweensaid start area and said center area.
 8. The game board device of claim1, comprising from 3 to 5 identical playing pieces for each side of saidmultided game board.